Today’s top story: 5 empowering tips for women on Equal Pay Day. Also in the news: 5 smart ways to invest your tax refund, 7 ways to trim your taxes in retirement, and how changes to the ACA might affect your insurance premiums.
5 Empowering Tips for Women on Equal Pay Day
It’s time to bridge the gap.
5 Smart Ways to Invest Your Tax Refund
Putting it towards the future.
Taxes in Retirement: 7 Ways to Trim Your Bill
Making your retirement a little less stressful.
How Changes to the ACA Might Affect Your Insurance Premiums
Playing the waiting game.
affordable care act
Q&A: How to find affordable healthcare insurance
Dear Liz: I am 25 and work two part-time jobs, neither of which offers health insurance. Once I’m 26, I will no longer be able to remain on my parents’ policy. Do I need a full-time job to receive health benefits, or do I have other options?
Answer: You currently have other options, but you may still want to look for a full-time job that offers this important benefit.
Although a Texas judge ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, the law giving people access to health insurance remains in effect while legal challenges play out. You can start your search for coverage at www.healthcare.gov. The open enrollment period for most people has ended, but some states including California have extended the deadline to Jan. 15. In addition, you would qualify for a “special enrollment” period once you turn 26 and lose eligibility for coverage on a parent’s plan.
If the ACA does go away, health insurance may become harder to qualify for and more expensive. Group health insurance through an employer may become your best option.
Wednesday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: Four times when you might need a financial planner. Also in the news: Understanding the Glass-Steagall Act, how to manage money in your 20s, and how the Affordable Care Act drove down personal bankruptcy.
4 Times When You Might Need a Financial Planner
Times when you shouldn’t go it alone.
The Glass-Steagall Act: What It Is and Why It Matters
Understanding the banking regulation.
How to Manage Money in Your 20s
Welcome to adulthood.
How the Affordable Care Act Drove Down Personal Bankruptcy
Monday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: How to choose your second credit card. Also in the news: How home insurance can cover your holiday disasters, how Affordable Care Act plans could change in 2017, and how to calculate how long it’ll take you to get out of the debt.
How to Choose Your Second Credit Card
Finding a card that compliments your spending habits.
No Need to Pout: Home Insurance Can Cover That Holiday Disaster
Saving you from becoming The Grinch.
How Affordable Care Act Marketplace Insurance Plans Will Change in 2017
A new administration could bring big changes.
How Long It Will Take to Get Out of Debt, Depending on Your Monthly Payment
Calculating your escape date.
Tuesday’s need-to-know money news
Today’s top story: Why you should pay your credit card bill before it’s due. Also in the news: How to break a bad money habit, what the IRS is doing to prevent identity theft, and how one late mortgage payment can wreak havoc with your credit score.
4 Reasons to Pay Your Credit Card Bill Before It’s Due
Improving your credit score is one of them.
How to Change a Bad Money Habit
Reward yourself for better behavior.
IRS Aims Harder to Protect You Against Identity Theft
New steps to protect tax payers.
Will Obamacare Ruin Your Tax Refund?
Probably not.
How Much a Late Mortgage Payment Can Damage Your Credit Score
A single late payment could pack a wallop.
Q&A: VA health coverage and the Affordable Care Act
Dear Liz: My brother is a Vietnam veteran. Every month since his separation from the Navy in 1969, he has had a monthly premium deducted from his pay and sent to the Veterans Administration for his medical insurance coverage. Last month he received a notice from his employer stating that if he doesn’t sign up and pay premiums under the Affordable Care Act, he will be fined for not having medical insurance. How can this be? He goes to the VA for all of his medical needs. Can this truly be correct?
Answer: People enrolled in VA healthcare don’t have to sign up for additional health insurance or pay additional premiums. Their VA coverage meets the Affordable Care Act’s requirements for coverage.
Your brother’s employer may have sent out a general notice to all employees about the law, rather than one that reflects his individual situation. If the employer believes that VA coverage doesn’t qualify, it should be alerted to this page on the VA site: http://www.va.gov/health/aca/.